Photos: 15 places to see before you die

Juanita Ng, Vancouver Sun05.23.2013

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Resort, Grindavík, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s top attractions, holds six million litres of geothermal seawater which is renewed every 40 hours. The water’s temperature is always between 37 and 39 C.'
/ Bluelagoon.com

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Resort, Grindavík, Iceland
The seawater originates 2,000 metres beneath the ground where it is heated by earth’s natural forces. The geothermal seawater comes into contact with cooling magmatic intrusions and captures the earth’s minerals, resulting in this unique natural source known for its healing power.'
/ Bluelagoon.com

Preikestolen (Preacher's Rock), Norway
Preikestolen is a massive cliff that rises 604 metres above Lysefjord in Norway. The top of the cliff is about 25 by 25 metres in size, and it is one of the most visited natural tourist attractions in Norway.'
/ Wikipedia

Preikestolen (Preacher's Rock), Norway
A steep 3.8-km hike is required to reach the summit of Preikestolen, which was formed during the ice age. Despite its height, the plateau has no safety rail so as to not detract from the area's natural beauty; however, neither have there been any accidents.'
/ Wikipedia

Archipelago Cinema, Thailand
Go see a movie in Thailand! This floating Archipelago Cinema in Nai Pi Lae lagoon in Thailand was created for the inaugural edition of a film festival called Film on the Rocks Yao Noi.'
/ www.tandempost.com

Archipelago Cinema, Thailand
The floating screen is set between two towering rocks in a bay surrounded by the lush jungle, and movie-goers sit in a separate floating auditorium.'
/ amusingplanet.com

Petra, Jordan
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in Jordan that is famous for its rock-cut architecture.'
/ Wikipedia

Petra, Jordan
Established possibly as early as 312 BC, it is Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction.'
/ Wikipedia

Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is a salt lake that borders Jordan, Israel and the West Bank. It is the one of world's saltiest bodies of water, 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. Because of the seawater's density, swimming is similar to floating.'
/ Wikipedia

Dead Sea
The salt and minerals from the Dead Sea are used to create cosmetics and herbal sachets.'
/ images.nonexiste.net

Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Antelope Canyon, near Page, Arizona, was formed by the erosion of Navajo sandstone primarily due to flash flooding.'
/ Wikipedia

Antelope Canyon, Arizona
The canyon has been a popular tourist spot since 1997, when it became accessible by permit.'
/ Wikipedia

Machu Picchu, Peru
It's believed to have been built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti.'
/ archaeology.about.com

Pamukkale, Turkey
People have been bathing for thousands of years in the hot springs at Pamukkale, Turkey, located about 20 km from the town of Denizli. Today the springs, as well as the terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water, are a major tourist attraction in Turkey.'
/ Wikipedia

Grand Mosque of Djenné, Mali
The Great Mosque of Djenné is the largest adobe building in the world. Located in the city of Djenné, Mali, it is one of the most famous landmarks in Africa.'
/ Wikipedia

Grand Mosque of Djenné, Mali
The Djenné community actively works to look after the mosque via a unique annual festival. Music and food are a part of the festival, but primarily, residents gather to repair the erosion that has been caused by the elements over the past year.'
/ Wikipedia

Salar de Uyuni salt flats, Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. It is 10,582 square kilometres in size, and was created as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes.'
/ Wikipedia

Salar de Uyuni salt flats, Bolivia
Tourists from around the world come to see the flats. Salar de Uyuni's crust is estimated to contain 10 billion tonnes of salt; meanwhile, the salt covers a pool of brine, which contains nearly half of the world's supply of lithium.'
/ Wikipedia

Hells Gate Geothermal Park, Rotorua, New Zealand
The Hells Gate attraction is known for its mud bath spa that features three kinds of mud: Black mud, which is used to treat arthritis, ice cold white mud used for burns, and silky, warm grey mud used to exfoliate skin.'
/ bittenbythetravelbug.com

Death Valley sailing stones
Sailing stones are a geological phenomenon around Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park in California, in which rocks move by themselves along the valley floor. Scientists have been unable to determine how or why the stones move every two or three years.'
/ Wikipedia

Death Valley sailing stones
Most of the tracks develop over three or four years; the length of the paths vary, and the paths of the stones can change suddenly. Stones with rough bottoms leave straight tracks while the ones with smooth bottoms wander.'
/ Wikipedia

Matanuska Glacier, Alaska
The Matanuska Glacier in Alaska is 43 km long and 6.4 km wide. It is the largest glacier accessible by car in the U.S.'
/ Wikipedia

Matanuska Glacier, Alaska
The Matanuska Glacier, which is located about 160 km northeast of Anchorage, flows about 30 centimetres per day.'
/ Wikipedia

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, People’s Republic of China
This tree-covered stone pillar, which was formed by the process of erosion, is one of many in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in the People’s Republic of China.'
/ petersadventureblog.wordpress.com

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, People’s Republic of China
Director James Cameron used these mountains as his inspiration for the floating Hallelujah Mountains in his 2010 film Avatar; the pillar shown in the preceding frame has officially been renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.'
/ petersadventureblog.wordpress.com

Easter Island moai
Moai are monolithic human figures carved from rock on Easter Island between 1250 and 1500. Hundreds of moai were transported from the main rock quarry and then placed around the perimeter of the Polynesian island.'
/ Wikipedia

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Photos: 15 places to see before you die

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